Dragonflies in Japan

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Visit mccsokinawa.com for details
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n April 20, visit an MCCS Club for a delicious Easter breakfast or brunch.
For those living near the southern camps, enjoy a delectable buffet with
all of your breakfast favorites at Surfside on Camp Kinser from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You can also stop by Tengan Castle on Camp Courtney from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to
have your fill of brunch delights on Easter morning. Prices for these buffets are
$9.95 for adults, $4.95 for children ages 5 to 11 and free for children under 5. The
Butler Officers’ Club will also host a brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. priced at $17
for adults, $8.50 for children ages 5 to 11 and free for children under 5. The Easter
Bunny will be making a special guest appearance at the Butler Officers’ Club, so
hop on in for the fun.
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You can also stop by the Habu Pit on MCAS Futenma from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for
a delectable brunch. Bring your appetite because with freshly prepared items on
the buffet, you are going to want to come back for seconds—maybe even thirds.
Reservations are highly recommended. To make a reservation, call your nearest
participating club.
Tengan Castle on Camp Courtney will also be holding an Easter Family Night
Celebration on April 17 from 5 to 9 p.m. Adults eat for $7.95, children for $3.95 and
children under 5 are free. Stop by for great food, games and activities, and take a
photo with the Easter Bunny.
For more information, visit mccsokinawa.com/clubs.
inside
Living at Large: Underwater Eggstravaganza | 2
Culture Corner: Dragonflies in Japan | 3
Off Base Events: Get Out and Explore | 4
Explore Okinawa: Cape Zanpa | 5
Health Promotion: Get Your Energy Back | 6
Spotlight: Positive Parenting | 6
2 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | April 10, 2014
livingatlarge
T
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | Jim Kassebaum
MANAGING EDITOR | Lisa Leung Indelicato
ART DIRECTOR | Karie Morton
GRAPHIC ARTS MANAGER | Henry Ortega
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS | Lisa Miyagi, Kelli Davis,
Hector Nieves, Mickayla Wilson, Margie Shimabukuro
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Mike Daley
EDITORS | Courtney Rick, Ryan Anastoplus
PHOTOGRAPHER | Thomas Alan Smilie
AD/SPONSORSHIP MANAGER | Roy Forster
AD SALES | Aya Chilcote, Yoshihiro Shinzato,
Yoriko Yamashiro, Jessica Wagner, Lola Cardenas
DISTRIBUTION TEAM | Gideon Juko, Joe Fincher
MARKETING ACCOUNTS MANAGER |
Andrew Menges
ACCOUNTS & RESEARCH | Amy Schultz,
Nicole Taylor, Allison McCarley, Kelly Longo
CULTURAL RESEARCH SPECIALISTS |
Rie Shinjo, Ayako Kawamitsu
Underwater Eggstravaganza
hough the Easter egg was a symbol
of rebirth of the Earth in Pagan
celebrations of spring, it was eventually
adopted by Christians as a symbol of the
rebirth of man during Easter. The practice
of painting eggs can be traced back to the
ancient Zoroastrians’ New Year celebration
on the spring equinox. Easter eggs represent
new life and new beginnings.
In the spring, it is a fun, family-friendly
custom to have an Easter egg hunt. The rules
of the game are simple. Everyone lines up
with their bags or baskets and when someone
says start, they take off running to find the
most eggs.
MCCS Semper Fit Aquatics has added a
new twist to this old tradition at the 2014
Underwater Eggstravaganza Hunt. The egg
hunt takes place in the pool with swimmers
hunting for eggs underwater. On April 19,
at the Camp Foster 25M Pool, join in this
underwater egg hunt with a chance to win
some prizes.
The egg hunt runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and
is open to children ages 3 to 15. All hunters
must pass the pre-event swim test in order to
participate. For those who are not interested
in swimming but still want to participate,
there will also be an egg hunt on land.
Questions? Comments? Please e-mail
OLW@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org
For additional details, visit
mccsokinawa.com/aquatics..
To advertise in the Okinawa Living Weekly, call 645-2245,
fax 645-0975, or email sales@okinawa.usmc-mccs.org.
MCCS is not responsible for designing and editing outside ads.
No Department of Defense, U.S. Marine Corps or
Marine Corps Community Services endorsement of
commercial advertisers or sponsors implies
mccs events & happenings
Career Assessment
April 14 8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
MFP-R, Camp Foster
645-3151
FREE
Money & Marriage Workshop
April 17, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
MFP–R, Camp Hansen
645-2104
FREE
Healthy Thinking Group
Wednesdays, 9–11 a.m.
Bldg. 439, Camp Foster
645-2915
FREE
Other FREE Media:
Resume Writing Workshop
Kimono Dressing
Nacho Average Wednesday
Foster Book Club
Preschool Story Time
Chariot of Beef
April 15, 1–4 p.m.
MFP-R, Camp Courtney
622-7878
FREE
April 16, 6 p.m.
Library, Camp Foster
645-7178
FREE
April 18, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
MFP-R, Camp Foster
645-3151
FREE
Mondays, 11 a.m.
Library, Camp Kinser
637-1039
FREE
MCCS Makes Okinawa Home
Wednesdays, 5–11 p.m.
Thirsty’s, MCAS Futenma
636-3046
Channel 15
Fridays & Saturdays, 5–9 p.m.
The Palms, Camp Hansen
623-4375
$2.50 per oz.
This publication printed with
Various Camps
Tire Disposal Special
Take 50% off tire disposals at all Typhoon Motors
locations. Offer valid for active duty USMC and
USN personnel only.
April 19 & 20
Typhoon Motors
mccsokinawa.com/typhoonmotors
Camp Courtney
Flea Market
Turn unwanted items into ca$h. For a full schedule, visit
mccsokinawa.com/fleamarket.
April 12 & 13, 7–10 a.m.
Special Events 645-5829
Camps Foster & Courtney
Body By You Bootcamp
Enjoy a high intensity, fast paced, action packed, fun and inspiring fitness program to help jump start your fitness routine.
April 14–June 6, Semper Fit Fitness Centers
mccsokinawa.com/wellness
Various Camps
Various Camps
Please visit your local MCCS Education Center for assistance in
applying to the DoD Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Programs (MyCAA) and searching for and completing
scholarship applications.
mccsokinawa.com/educationandcareerservices
Dive in and earn your PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water certification and start exploring the waters of Okinawa.
Tsunami SCUBA
MYCAA & Scholarship Programs
PADI Certification Courses
mccsokinawa.com/tsunamiscuba
3 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | April 10, 2014
tours+
culturecorner
adventure begins here.
Urashima Dinner Theater
April 18, 5:30–9:30 p.m.
Adults $73 (with half lobster) $58 (without),
Children (6–12) $36, (3–5) $32, (under 3) $5
no meal
Savor the flavors of Okinawan cuisine while being entertained by traditional music and dancers. Choose between American or Okinawan
dinners. Tour price includes dinner and show.*
Battle Sites Tour
April 19, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Adults $26, Children (3–11) $16, (under 3) $5
Relive the Battle of Okinawa with a history lesson.
Visit the Battle of Okinawa Historical Society’s
museum on Camp Kinser. Explore the Japanese
Naval Underground Headquarters and end the day
at Peace Prayer Park. Bring dollars for lunch and
yen for admission fees. Participants should wear
comfortable, non-skid shoes and a hat.
Itoman Farm & Fish Markets Tour
April 19, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m.
Adults $18, Children (3–11) $11, (under 3) $5
The best food is what’s grown closest to you.
Explore and shop the freshest foods available,
and purchase fresh seafood and vegetables in
Itoman to bring home.*
Shuri Castle & Naha
April 20, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Adults $21, Children (3–11) $14, (under 3) $5
Tour this 15th century castle and enjoy lunch
and shopping on Kokusai Street. Spend the rest
of the day at Fukushu Garden and Naminoue
Shinto Shrine. Bring yen for entrance fees,
lunch and purchases.
*Bring yen for additional food, drinks and/or purchases
For more information, contact MCCS Tours+:
Camp Foster 646-3502 | Camp Hansen 623-6344
Camp Kinser 637-2744
D
Dragonflies in Japan
ragonflies or tombo, are seemingly fragile. They dance about in
the warm summer air and fly with glass-like
wings. Children have long delighted in capturing the insect, devising different ways
to try and hold them. A favorite pastime
for Japanese children is to make a game
of catching them. They toss a
contraption into the air, made of
a hair with two tiny pebbles tied
to each end, which the dragonfly
mistakes for prey. As it swoops
in for the capture, the dragonfly
gets tangled in the hair and pulled
down by the pebbles. Simple as it
sounds, it’s quite a tricky feat to
master. They are quick and agile
and may land on you if you are still
enough but in the end the tombo
always fly away. In truth, the dragonfly has survived the past 300 million years of evolution, outlasting
the dinosaurs. Perhaps this is why
the Japanese view the tombo as
a symbol of strength, power, success, victory and happiness.
The dragonfly is an insect of the order
Odonata and Japan boasts more than 190
species. Most of a dragonfly’s life is spent as
larvae in the water, making Japan a productive breeding ground with its rice paddies,
rivers and mountain streams. They are found
in abundance in the early summer months.
These beautiful creatures morph like a
butterfly, shedding their outer layer. They
are often brilliantly colored—electric blue,
shocking teal, white or even red. You often
see them flying in acrobatic dance. They
feast on other flying insects, including mosquitoes and pests, that eat the rice plants.
At one time, the tombo was believed to be
the spirit of the rice plant and farmers who
saw them thought they were a harbinger
of a good harvest. The earliest images of
dragonflies in Japanese artwork appear on
bronze dotaku bells, ceremonial bells from
the second century BC to the third century
AD. The bells are thought to have been rung
as prayers for a good harvest.
A story in Nihon Shoki, compiled in 720
AD, mentions that as the first emperor was
surveying his lands, he proclaimed that his
island looked like two dragonflies or akitsu
as they were known. The emperor decided to
call Japan Akitsu shima, which can be translated as dragonfly island. Another story tells
of the 21st emperor who was stung by a horsefly, then a dragonfly swooped in and took the
horsefly away. The emperor was so satisfied
by this that he named the area Akitsu-no or
dragonfly plain.
This auspicious story may be why
the Yamato court of the 8th century
used the dragonfly as a symbol of power. In the 11th century, noble families
used the dragonfly to mark belongings
and as ornamentation on everything
from furnishings to clothing. It was
also chosen as a Samurai family crest.
The warrior class would illustrate
kachimushi on helmets, arrows and
other military elements. Kachimushi,
which means victory insect, is another name for the dragonfly, because
of their quickness when attacking
smaller insects.
Often appearing in Japanese poetry, dragonflies are also the subject
of myth. On Okinawa, one may hear
that the dragonflies are restless when a
typhoon is on the way. Their mysterious
nature makes them a favorite subject for
artwork. Depictions of the tombo were also
discovered on ancient pottery and paintings.
Throughout Japanese history, the tombo constantly reappears in stories and legends. As
the landscape changes with modernization,
dragonflies are less evident in everyday life
but are immortalized in Japanese art.
4 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | April 10, 2014
off-baseevents
Get out and explore.
Sunset Beach Opening
April 11
9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Mihama, Chatan-cho
FREE
Ogimi Exhibition (Igimi
Teiguma)
April 11–13
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Ogimi Agri-Environment Improvement
Center, Ogimi Village
FREE
Ryukyu Kaiensai
Firework Festival
April 12
7:30 p.m.
Tropical Beach, Ginowan
Visit ryukyu-kaiensai.com/ticket.html
for pricing.
5 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | April 10, 2014
exploreokinawa
Cape Zanpa
Cape Zanpa sits at the northwestern point of the Yomitan Peninsula, offering one of the most spectacular landscapes on the island. At the tip of
the headland stands an enchanting lighthouse, which is one of Okinawa’s
most iconic landmarks. The cape also offers a beautiful stretch of beach
and short walking trails, perfect for a morning or afternoon escapade.
Directions:
Drive north on 58 past Kadena Air Base and turn left on 6. Continue on 6
past Torii Station and follow the signs on your left leading to Cape Zanpa.
6 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | April 10, 2014
healthpromotion
Megan Chapman, RN, MCCS Health Promotion Wellness Educator
For more information on nutrition or exercise, contact
MCCS Health Promotion at 634-3484/3910.
Alcohol Awareness Month
E
ach April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
(NCADD) sponsors Alcohol Awareness Month
to increase public awareness, reduce stigma and
encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcoholrelated issues. This
April, NCADD highlights the important
public health issue
of underage drinking, a problem with
devastating individual, family and
community consequences.
Alcohol use by
young people is
extremely dangerous—both to themselves and to society, and is directly associated with traffic fatalities, violence,
suicide, educational failure, alcohol overdose,
unsafe sex and other problem behaviors. Annually, according to the CDC over 6,500 people under
the age of 21 die from alcohol-related accidents
and thousands more are injured. Reducing underage drinking is critical to securing a healthy
future for America’s youth. We can use this
month to raise awareness about alcohol abuse
and take action to prevent it, both at home and in
the community. Here are a few ideas: encourage
friends or family members to make small chang-
es, like keeping track of their drinking and setting drinking limits. Share tips and advice with
parents to help them talk with their kids about
the risks of alcohol use. Set a good example by
participating in this year’s Alcohol-Free Weekend
(April 4-6, 2014),
which is designed to
raise public awareness about the use
of alcohol and how
it may be affecting
individuals,
families, and the
community. During
this 72-hour period,
NCADD
extends
an open invitation
to all Americans,
young and old, to
participate in three alcohol-free days.
If you must drink, vow to do so in a responsible manner. If alcohol is a problem in your
life, get help today. Don’t waste any more precious moments living life under the control of
alcohol. You cannot be the person you were
meant to be or accomplish great things in life
if alcohol dictates the decisions you make and
the actions you take.
“Annually, according to
the CDC over 6,500 people
under the age of 21 die
from alcohol-related
accidents and thousands
more are injured”
For more information, please visit
mccsokinawa.com/wellness.
upcoming
semperfitevents
Open Softball Tournament
April 25–27
Camp Schwab Softball Field 1
Register by 1 p.m. on April 21 at any MCCS
fitness center for $95 per team. This
event is open to participants island-wide.
Awards will be given to first, second and
third place finishers. Tournament brackets and bylaws will be e-mailed to each
coach. For details, call 625-2654.
Open 6-on-6 Soccer Tournament
May 2–4
Camp Hansen Parade Deck
Register by 1 p.m. on April 28 at any MCCS
fitness center for $100 per team. This
event is open to participants island-wide.
Awards will be given to first, second and
third place teams. Tournament brackets and bylaws will be e-mailed to each
coach. For details, call 623-5569/5558.
Open Flag Football Tournament
April 25–27
Kinser Fitness Center
Register by 1 p.m. on April 21 at any MCCS
fitness center for $95 per team. This
event is open to participants island-wide.
Awards will be given to first, second and
third place finishers. Tournament brackets and bylaws will be e-mailed to each
coach. For details, call 637-1869.
Open Racquetball Tournament
May 9–11
Futenma Semper Fit Gym
Register by 1 p.m. on May 5 at any MCCS
fitness center for $10. On-site registration
will be available from 7:30–8:30 a.m. for
$15. This event is open to participants
island-wide. Awards will be given to first,
second and third place teams. There will
be an on-site participants’ brief at 8:45
a.m.* For details, call 636-2672.
*Attendance is required for participation.
Need to
challenge your
abilities?
Visit www.mccsokinawa.com and click “Semper Fit” for information on upcoming
basketball, racquetball, soccer, softball, and volleyball tournaments.
MCCS Semper Fit 645-3521
7 | OKINAWA LIVING WEEKLY | April 10, 2014
Proud sponsor of
MCCS Youth Sports
Athletics/Adult Sports
645-3521
Zumba
®
Aquatics
645-3180/3522
Courtney Ironworks
622-9261/7297
Futenma Semper Fit
636-2672
Gunners Fitness Center
645-3985/2235
Hansen House of Pain
623-5558/4831
Health Promotion
645-3484/3910
Kinser Fitness Center
637-1869/1114
Mix body-sculpting movements with easy to
follow dance steps mainly derived from Latin
backgrounds. The routines feature aerobic
interval training with a combination of fast
and slow rhythms to tone and sculpt the body.
It targets the glutes, legs, arms, abdominals
and heart. Dancing skills are not necessary.
For a full class schedule, visit schedule
mccsokinawa.com/groupfitness.
Schwab Power Dome
625-2654/2442
Taiyo Golf Club
622-2004
Tsunami SCUBA
645-9500
Youth Sports
645-3533/3534